The cosmetic industry sells billions of dollars' worth of makeup to women each year; a large chunk of that profit is made from the sale of eye shadow, eye liner, mascara, brow gel, and concealer (used to cover up those unsightly dark shadows surrounding the eyes — the ones that make you look as though you haven't slept or eaten in a week). In addition, Botox — a toxin that paralyzes the muscles, in this case those surrounding the eyes, thus eliminating crow's-feet and making the eyes appear younger — is the aging woman's new best friend.

Girly Glances

Why do women, in particular, place so much stock (almost literally) in the appearance of their eyes? The answer comes from your tenth-grade biology book: females are genetically programmed to make themselves appear fertile to the male gender so that the human race may go on. Young women are fertile women; since these women are destined to carry on the human race, they're held in high regard by males. The first signs of aging — fine lines, dark circles, wrinkles — often appear around the eyes, so women do everything in their power to camouflage those little flaws, lest they be regarded as somehow less valuable to society than their younger sisters.

Another reason women spend long hours applying eye makeup is to mimic the big-eyed innocence of youth … and we're talking about real youth, as in childhood. When a woman makes up her eyes to look wide and innocent, she looks as harmless and as inexperienced as a young child, which may help to attract men who are looking for a date who's filled with virtue or who's simply gullible.

Big eyes mimic the innocence of youth and make you appear harmless.

Rugged Eyes

All in all, though, even with the emphasis on youth in this country, age still isn't the issue for men that it is for women. Men can theoretically remain virile right through their old age. Many women are attracted to older mates for practical reasons — he's wiser, more mature, financially stable. In other words, a little age can look very good on a man's face. So although many men will knock themselves out to keep physically fit, it's not likely that you'll regularly see men at the cosmetics counter any time soon. They're finding dates without spending hours in front of the mirror and/or huge amounts of money at the cosmetic surgeon's office, correcting or hiding the fine lines around their eyes.